Four suspects are currently in the net of the Nigerian Security and
Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, for allegedly engaging in
illegal oil bunkering.It was learnt that the suspects – Jamiu Sittu,
Bolaji Isila, Sola Ogunlade and Semiu Bello – were rounded up by the
NSCDC men at about 10pm on January 16 around Eyita Sabo in the Ikorodu
area of the state.Our correspondent learnt that the team recovered 52
jerrycans, with each containing 50 litres of petrol, from two vehicles
used by the suspects.It was further learnt that while 50 kegs were
seized from Isila and Ogunlade, who were inside a space bus marked
KRD63BM, two kegs hidden in a tyre compartment were recovered from
another car with number plate AG 15 FKJ used by Shittu and
Bello.Thirty-seven-year-old Shittu, who hails from Ogun State, told
PUNCH Metro that he took to the act recently to get money to pay up the
hospital bill of his wife who gave birth to a baby boy in July, 2014
through caesarean section.The commercial driver
explained that N150,000 was charged for the surgery, but he could only
pay N80,000.He said, “I started the business three months ago. I am a
commercial driver, but I was not earning enough. I was actually pushed
into it so that I could balance my wife’s hospital bill on time. We got
married in October, 2013.”Isila, 47, said he resorted to the “business”
because his mechanic work was not enough to take care of his family of
three.He said, “I stopped my mechanic work due to lack of patronage and
went into transport business. The challenges of bribing traffic officers
prompted me to buy fuel from people who are into illegal bunkering
because they sell at a cheaper rate.”Ogunlade, an indigene of Ekiti
State, said joblessness forced him to eke out a living for himself and
his family through illegal bunkering.“I have three children. I am a
driver, but traffic officers had seized my vehicle. So I have nothing
else to do,” he said.Forty-seven-year-old Bello told our correspondent
that he had come to help Shittu repair his vehicle when he was
apprehended.He said, “After repairing his vehicle, I asked him to give
me a lift to Sabo. We had almost reached Sabo bus stop when NSCDC
officers stopped us. I did not know the load inside the car contained
petrol until the officer uncovered it.”The state commandant of the
corps, Gabriel Abbafi, said his men swooped on the suspects following an
intelligence report.Abbafi enjoined people to engage in lawful
vocations rather than exploiting the country’s economy which was meant
to benefit all.He said, “The suspects are guilty of the crime. Some of
them have confessed. We are trying to get them to help us to nab the
real kingpins.”
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